Could dummy containers make a ship carrying containerized missiles look like an ordinary container ship?
Short answerThey could change its appearance, but empty-container movements and an unusually light draught would create other signs that the ship was not trading normally.
NotesA dummy stack introduces questions about how the vessel earns money when it repeatedly delivers and retrieves empty containers. Empty boxes also contribute less weight than the cargo they are meant to imitate. The ship can therefore sit conspicuously high in the water. Both its trading pattern and its draught are possible weaknesses in the disguise.